Mechanism for moving engines off of dead-centers



R. H. ADAMS.

MECHANISM FOR MOVING ENGINES OFF OF DEAD CENTERS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY B. 1919.

1,335,086. Patented Mar. 30,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

R. H. ADAMS.

- MECHANISM FOR MOVING ENGINES OFF OF DEAD CENTERS- APPLICATION HL E0 JULY 8,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fFoy H/ldams UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY H. ADAMS, 0F BOYNTON, OKLAHOMA.

MECHANISM FOR MOVING ENGINES OFF OF DEAD-CENTERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY H. AnaMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at -Boynton, in the county of Muskogee, State though it will be understood from the fol- V lowing description that it may be employed in connection with an explosive engine and it is the object of the invention to provide a simple means that may be associated with the engine for shifting the crank shaft in either direction from a dead center and which apparatus may furthermore be 0perated from a convenient distance.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view including a conventional illustration of an engine equipped with a mechanism embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and showing the kicker mechanism inactive.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 8-3 of Fig. 2 looking to the left and showing the position of one of the kicking segments beneath the fly wheel.

Fig. l is a detailed sectional view on line %4 of Fig. 2 to show the manner of attaching the rack segments to the fly wheel.

Referring now to the drawings there is represented a steam. engine comprising a base 5 upon which is the cylinder 6 and the pillow blocks 7 in which latter is journaled the usual crank shaft 8 with which the piston rod 9 is connected in the usual manner. There is of course also provided a cut-off mechanism and such other attributes as go to constitute the steam engine commonly employed in connection with an oil derrick, and these form no part of the present invention.

Under working conditions, the engine at times stops at a dead center when frequently it is vital that it be in motion. Under such conditions, it is customary for the engineer to throw it off of the dead v Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1919.

Patented Mar; 30, 1920.

Serial No. 309,273.

center in any of a variety of inconvenient ways and it is to overcome such inconveniences that the present invention is pro vided.

The present kicking mechanism includes the provision of segmental racks 10 to the periphery of the fly wheel 11 of the engine in spaced relation, together with means to engage these racks interchangeably and move them with the fly wheel, in corre sponding opposite directions.

Each rack 10 is formed upon the convexed face of a channeled shoe that embraces a portion of the periphery and the side edges of the fly wheel, the shoe having stud bolts that are engaged through a curved clamping plate 12 on the inner periphery of the fly wheel, beyond which they are provided with clamping nuts 13.

Beneath the fly wheel 11 is disposed the base 1 1 of an additional member of the present equipment and from each end of which rise a pair of pillow blocks 15 having jou-rnaled therein the rock shaft 16 each provided at one end with a crank 17, it being noted that the cranks while parallel, extend oppositely from their respective shafts.

Fixed upon each shaft 16 between the corresponding pillow blocks 15 is a Segmental gear 18 so arranged and proportioned that when its shaft is rocked, it will engage the corresponding rack 10, when the engine is on a dead center and after moving the fly wheel with the shaft an angular distance sufficient to carry the engine off the dead center, will then return to its original position, illustrated in Fig. 2.

The segmental gears 18 are held normally in their retracted positions by means of the helical springs 18 each of which is connected at one end to the gear, as illustrated while the other end is connected to the upwardly directed brackets 19 carried by the base 14- and having a cage 20 within which the spring is confined, the cage serving also as a stop to limit the return movement of the segmental gear and its rock shaft.

To actively move each segmental gear 8, as distinguished from the passive movement contributed by its spring 18, there is connected to the corresponding crank 17, a cable 21, preferably of wire which is connected at its opposite end to one end of a foot lever or pedal 22. The two pedals 22 for the two cables 21, are mounted upon a single rock shaft 23 carried in pillow blocks 24: upon a llO base 25 which in practice is positioned con-- venient to the throttle 26 of the engine so that without leaving the throttle, the engineer may actuate either foot lever or pedal to pull the corresponding cable 21 and through the medium of the connected lever 17 and segmental gear 8, shift the fly wheel in either direction for corresponding subsequent rotation of the crank shaft.

It will of course be understood that the bases 14 and 25 may be secured upon any suitable foundation, such as the convenient timbers.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with an engine and a rotatable part thereof, of a rack carried by such rotatable part, an oscillatory gear mounted and formed to engage the rack when the engine is on dead center and under influence of movement of which gear the rack and therewith the movable part of the engine is shiftable past the dead center, and from! which engagement the gear is movable, means for moving the gear actively with respect to the rack, and means for returning and holding the gear yieldably in inactive position.

2. The combination with an engine and its fly wheel, of a pair of spaced shoes removably connected thereto and each provided with rack teeth disposed transversely of the periphery ofthe fly wheel, segmental gears for the racks mounted to engage their racks move the fly wheel angular distances in opposite directions, means for engaging the gears interchangeably with their racks and moving them in such engagement to subsequent disengagement and separate means for returning and holding eachgear in inactive position.

3. The combination with an engine and its fly wheel having peripheral rack teeth,

' of a pair of ge'ars'engageable and disengageable with respect to certain of the rack teeth upon continuous movement in one direction, means for thus moving each gear and separate means for returning each gear for disengagement and for holding it yieldably in returned position.

4. The combination with an engine and its fly wheel having spaced series of removable transverse peripheral rack teeth,

of a segmental rack gear for each series of- ROY H. ADAN[S.

Witnesses: i

LEONA CARRoWs, J. F. WOLFINGER. 

